house of sugar
by neverephemeral
Summary: Christmas was Darcy's favorite holiday and everyone knew that. From December 1st right up until New Year's Day, Darcy was all about the holiday spirit. (Steve/Darcy/Bucky)


**I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season! :) Here's a holiday themed story.**

* * *

 **C** hristmas was Darcy's favorite holiday and everyone knew that. From December 1st right up until New Year's Day, Darcy was all about the holiday spirit. So, it was no surprise to Steve and Bucky; when they returned from a mission on December 3rd, to find all of their Christmas decorations possible out in the living room and Andy Williams' It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year blaring throughout their apartment.

"Darcy!" Steve called.

"Is that peppermint?" Bucky asked, as he looked at Steve, "do you smell peppermint?"

Steve ignored him and walked further into the apartment, making his way toward the boxes of Christmas decorations that covered most of the living room floor and furniture. He moved a few things around, looking through the box that was sitting on one of the chairs.

"Darce!" Steve called again.

"We got our own Christmas mugs," Bucky said from the kitchen and held up a Grinch styled mug, " _this_ one is yours."

"I'm not a Grinch," Steve frowned.

"You are sometimes," Darcy appeared from the hallway; dressed in dark blue jeans and a long sleeve green shirt, with a matching dark green bow tied in her hair, "but I still love you despite that."

"Is that a bow?" Steve asked.

"You look swell, doll," Bucky smiled and leaned over the top of the counter and kissed her cheek. "Thank you for my Nutcracker mug. I love it."

Darcy smiled, "why thank you, handsome." She looked over to the other man, "yes, it's a bow. I wanted to be festive."

"Where did all these decorations come from?" Steve asked.

"Don't I look cute with the bow?" Darcy asked, ignoring Steve's question completely. "I wasn't too sure about it to be honest."

"You look cute no matter what, Darce," Steve smiled at her, "but the living room is filled with decorations."

"Not totally filled," she said as she walked over to stand in front of Steve.

Steve raised one of his eyebrows at her.

"There is a good amount," Bucky added from his place by the counter.

"Not all of it is for the apartment," Darcy answered.

"Oh?" Steve looked down at her.

Darcy nodded, "some of it is for the tree."

"We don't have a tree," Bucky said.

"Well, we're going to get one," Darcy looked back at him, "a _real_ one."

Bucky nodded, "of course, doll."

"Darce it's only the 3rd," Steve said.

She looked up at him, "and?"

"Just pointing that out," Steve placed his hands on his hips, "continue."

Darcy moved around him to stand in the middle of the pile of the decorations. She swung her arms out as if she were sweeping them over the numerous boxes, a wide smile appearing on her face as she looked at her two men. "Some of these decorations are for the rest of the tower."

"What now?" Steve asked.

"You're going to decorate the rest of the tower?" Bucky asked.

"Christmas is my favorite time of the year," Darcy started to explain.

"I didn't know that," Steve shook his head.

Bucky nodded, "news to me."

Darcy rolled her eyes, "it's important to share the holiday cheer with everyone. To keep up morale, you know?" She looked at them, "you guys are soldiers you know how important that is."

Steve shook his head, "Darcy, how is you decorating the Avengers tower, have any affect on our morale out on missions?"

"I for one would feel unstoppable with a blinking red dot in the middle of your shield," Bucky said as he walked around the side of the counter and sat on one of the stools.

Steve looked back at him annoyed.

"You would make an excellent Rudolph," Bucky nodded.

"What I was saying is," Darcy grabbed back their attention, "that when you go out on missions they're dangerous and you're stressed out. So, when you come back home here, wouldn't it be nice to see decorations? It would lift your spirits a little, right?"

Steve had to give her that. It wasn't as though the tower was decorated much during the rest of the year. Yes, Darcy decorated some for the other holidays but not nearly as much as she did around this time of year. Darcy went all out for Christmas. He certainly wasn't going to be the one to ruin her cheering mood by saying no to decorating the rest of the tower. Tony didn't have a problem with it, he actually encouraged Darcy to be the Christmas Spirit.

"What did Fury say?" Steve asked.

"No decorations in the conference room or his office," Darcy said. "As usual."

Bucky and Steve both gave her a look.

"The outside of his office door technically isn't _in_ his office," she groaned.

"You decorated it?" Steve asked.

Darcy nodded.

"As usual," Bucky laughed.

Darcy stuck her tongue out at him. As much as Fury acted like Scrooge, she knew that his heart wasn't nearly as cold as he pretended it was. She knew that he enjoyed her decorating his office door because she caught him smirking at it once. Last year it was Frosty that covered his entire door, this year it was only a wreath. Granted the wreath was huge but that's besides the point. It was more professional, just like Fury requested.

* * *

A few days later, on the 9th, the Avengers; including Darcy, Jane and Pepper, were called into a conference for a possible mission. Darcy as usual was one of the last ones to arrive to the meeting and when she did, she made an entrance.

"Miss Lewis, I thought I said no decorations in the conference room," Fury said.

"You did," Darcy nodded, "and there are no decorations in the conference room."

Fury gave her a questionable look as if to say _really?_

Darcy was dressed from head to toe like an elf. Her shoes were bright red and pointed with bells on the tips so she jingled every time she walked. Her hat too had a bell on the end which also jingled. "The decorations are on me, so..."

"Just go sit," Fury sighed.

Darcy smiled and took her place in between Steve and Bucky who both gave her a loving, _not surprised_ , fond smile.

"You do Elves everywhere justice, Lady Darcy," Thor smiled.

"Unless you're talking about an Elf from Middle Earth," Natasha spoke up.

"I'm sorry did you just say Middle Earth?" Tony asked.

Jane smiled, "I knew that costume would fit you. See? You had nothing to worry about."

"I know," Darcy said, "you were right."

"The hat is adorable," Pepper said from her seat across Darcy.

"If you're all done with social hour," Fury interrupted them all, "we can get on with our meeting."

Tony nodded, "Yeah. For this next mission, with following Darcy's holiday spirit and all, I motion for Steve's codename to be Rudolph."

"You told him about that?" Steve leaned forward and looked at Bucky.

Bucky shook his head, "I didn't but I did say you would make an excellent Rudolph."

"You just had to tell him?" Steve looked Darcy.

Darcy shrugged looking sheepish, "not on purpose! It just kind of, slipped out. Spreading the holiday cheer."

"It would be no work at all to add a blinking red light to your shield," Tony said.

"Then we would all have reindeer code names, yes?" Thor asked.

Natasha shook her head, "I'm not being Prancer."

"Cupid would be yours," Bruce smirked as he looked over to Clint.

"Funny," Clint glared back at him slightly.

"I would like to be Blitzen," Thor smiled as he looked around the group.

Fury stood at the end of the conference table and gave Darcy an unhappy look. This always happened around this time of year when Darcy came to meetings.

Darcy shrugged, "yours could be Clause."

"I hate Christmas," Fury stated.

* * *

Christmas Eve was only three days away and despite Darcy's many wishes, and bugging Thor, it hadn't snowed yet in New York City. She's not saying that it was all about having snow for Christmas to make it _feel_ like Christmas but it helped.

"Darcy, standing and staring out the window isn't going to make it snow," Steve said as he joined her in front of the sliding door that lead out to the balcony overlooking the city.

Darcy sighed, "I know." She lead back against Steve as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "It just doesn't feel like Christmas without snow."

"We still have a few days until Christmas," Steve kissed the top of her head, "it will snow."

"Yeah," Darcy sighed and turned his arms. She smirked up at him, "are you ready for the Christmas party tonight?"

Steve shook his head, "you mean Tony's food colored Schnapps that he claims is punch? Yeah, for sure."

It was tradition that every year at the Christmas party that the team held, Tony would spike the punch with Peppermint flavored Schnapps. It really did always seem to be more Schnapps than punch and last year, Thor and Tony got so drunk that they did a lively rendition of Baby, It's Cold Outside.

Pepper recorded it.

Later at the Christmas party, everyone was in good cheer. Even Maria was being festive with wearing classy ornament shaped earrings and Natasha was dressed from head to toe in her signature color, red. This time Darcy was wearing a cute Santa hat minus the bell on the end. Throughout the room there was mistletoe and almost everyone got a kiss. Darcy, of course, got a kiss from both of her guys.

"Darcy!" Jane called, "look!"

Everyone turned and Darcy squealed, actually squealed, with delight. Just like Steve had said it would, it was snowing.

Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree began to play as Darcy and Bucky, along with, Thor and Jane, Natasha and Clint, Tony and Pepper and Bruce and Maria danced in the snow as Steve watched his family fondly.

* * *

Despite her love for Christmas, her most favorite thing about it was her Christmas Eve tradition. Christmas Day belonged to the team but Christmas Eve belonged to her and her guys. Every Christmas Eve, Steve would place the two angel ornaments that he made for his parents on their Christmas tree. After, all three of them would cook dinner together and then Bucky would put It's A Wonderful Life on. Steve and Bucky would sit at either end of the couch while Darcy sprawled herself out on top of them, her legs cradled by Bucky and his cool metal arm; Steve would gently caress his fingers through her hair as they watched the movie.

Just before midnight on Christmas Eve, with Bucky already gone to bed and Steve in the shower, Darcy turned off all the lights in the apartment so that the only lights on were the Christmas tree lights. She would sit by herself and just look at the beauty that was the tree. She thought about how happy and loved she felt with her two men and how thankful she was for the rest of the team. Darcy, even after all this time, still felt awe and disbelief that this was her life.

After Steve was done showering, he would join Darcy, sitting beside her; both just enjoying each other's company in silence. Then Steve would get up and press play on the stereo so that Frank Sinatra's Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas filled the room and he and Darcy would dance together by tree light.

Darcy warmed when Steve leaned down in her ear and whispered, _I'll give you the moon, Darcy._

Then at midnight, both would wish each other a Merry Christmas and share a kiss.

Christmas was Darcy's favorite holiday.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it! Happy Holidays and New Year! :)**

 **-K xo**


End file.
